Yellow Pages
Lake Boren Park has something for just about everyone within its 22.6 acres. It consists of a looped walking path, a children’s play area, picnic shelters and a fishing dock. The park also boasts restrooms, two tennis courts, a basketball court, a sand volleyball court and a large parking lot.
There is also plenty of history here, including hiking along the old railroad bed of the Seattle & Walla Walla and past the Newcastle cemetery.
Plans were for the railroad line to be transcontinental. However, it ended up being 22 miles in length, running from Seattle to Coal Creek.
Coal discovered in Newcastle in 1863 was transported by rail to piers in Seattle where it was loaded onto freighters bound for San Francisco.
Local lore has it that the lake’s bottom has yet to be located. A train loaded with coal supposedly left its tracks and plunged into its murky waters. The train, crew and payload were never located — or so the story goes.
The cemetery was founded that same year to meet the needs of the miners. The first burial took place in 1879 and the most recent in 1979.
Newcastle coal mines began operation in 1867 and remained open until about 1929. The cemetery was designated a King County Landmark in 1982 and is the final resting place for families of Welsh, Scottish, English, Finnish, Italian, Irish, Belgian, Swedish and other immigrants, most of whom toiled in the mines.
A locked gate keeps the cemetery closed to the public.
Distance: 2.6 miles
Destination: Hazelwood Summit
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation gain: 500 feet
Getting there: From I-405 south, take exit 10 for Coal Creek Parkway. Keep left at the fork to continue toward SE Coal Creek Parkway. Coal Creek Parkway becomes SE Coal Creek Parkway in about 3.3 miles. From SE Coal Creek Parkway, turn right on SE 84th Way, then take the next right to enter Lake Boren Park.
The Trek: This hike begins at the Wetland Trail mentioned in last week’s Hike of the Week. Locate the trailhead on 122nd Place SE.
Begin by reading the sign explaining what the wetlands are all about. The area is a “Drainage Easement” and a “Natural Growth Protection Area.”
The wetlands are just a sliver of what was once a larger swamp. The low-lying area stores rainwater and is home to small mammals, birds, amphibians and insects.
This time of the year, the mosquitoes are quite thick.
Set out on boardwalk covered in metal mesh. The single-wide boardwalk makes its way through the heart of the wetland. The route twists and turns for about 100 yards. Here, the path returns to gravel.
Reach a information post and proceed left toward Hazelwood Summit — 0.1 of a mile away.
Enter the forest and proceed up a staircase. The trail bends to the left as it continues to climb. Go right up another staircase moments before the trail switchbacks to the right. Nine steps lead up to a concrete overlook.
At this point, one is standing on a steep hillside at an elevation of about 500 feet. The view through the trees to the east is of the summit of Cougar Mountain, which is almost 1,000 feet above this spot.
This hillside stays steep as solid bedrock lies close to the surface.
The hillside was shaped by glaciers 13,000 years ago, and doesn’t slump as do hills of gravel, clay or sand. The soil that clings to the steep rock face has accumulated bit by bit over thousands of years.
The dirt makes it possible for plants to grow, and in turn the roots of trees, shrubs, herbs and mosses hold the soil in place.
Decaying leaves and branches add to the accumulation of soil and provide a nutrient-rich rock garden.
At the end of the concrete walkway, proceed left up another flight of stairs and reach Hazelwood Summit. It’s not much to look at. It’s overgrown and the views are blocked by foliage. The flanks of Cougar Mountain can just be made out.
Several trails continue from this point, including the path to Newcastle Way. After taking it all in, retrace your steps back to the rig.
Wetland Trail/Hazelwood Summit
Vince Richardson
Steps lead to the summit of Hazelwood.
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